Moonlight
by Zarely
Summary: So you know, I'm bad at writing previews. A father comforts his infant son by telling him a story not yet finished... Yes, yet another re-write of the Baldur's Gate series (maybe...) Xan x PC nonbonded path
1. Moonlight Soliloquy

A cool summer breeze blew through the open bedroom window of an elven estate, carrying on it the warm sweet scent of the flowers from the gardens below. A baby's cry broke the pristine silence and the woman asleep on the bed stirred, rousing herself to tend to her crying child.

"No," a male voice said gently, touching her shoulder. He lifted himself from his place beside her, "I'll take care of him."

The woman nods sleepily and settles back down into the bed. The elven man gently touched his small wife's cheek one last time before rising and crossing over to the nursery just off their bedroom and to his crying son.

"Now what's wrong, little one?" he asks as he lifts the crying child from its crib. The child's cries quiet as he looks into the eyes of his father. He quickly checks the child's needs, making sure he was clean and dry, and then touching to the baby's lips the bottle, only to have the child turn his small round face away. "Not thirsty then?" the man murmured to his son, "Perhaps some air then will help then."

Gently wrapping the thin cotton blanket around his son and settling him next to his chest, he walked towards the bedroom door that lead to the garden. As he entered the bedroom his wife stirred, "Xan?" she murmured her voice thick with sleep.

"Go back to sleep Estel'amin, I have him."

"Where are you going?"

"Just out to the gardens, it's alright, go back to sleep."

"Be sure he's –"

"Sleep," he said gently touching his free hand to her lips. "I'll take care of him."

She nodded and curled back into the bed. "Thank you Xan," she said, her words slurred to where he believed she might actually go back to sleep. How she needed that.

Slipping on a pair of sandals, he quietly made his way to the moonlit garden. He enfolded the baby with both arms now, shielding him from the faintest hint of a breeze in the cool summer night as he walked through the cobbled paths in the large estate gardens. He held his son so he could see the moon and stars through the twisting branches of an ancient oak. The boy squirmed and began to fuss, and Xan feared he would begin his cries anew. "Lovely, aren't they?" he whispered, his eyes still on the stars.

The baby quieted down at the sound of his father's voice. "So you want me to talk do you?"Xan said turning his gaze to the small child in his arms. The child cooed quietly.

"So what do you want me to speak of, e'sum?" He walked over to a stone bench near a small pool and sat with his back to the moon, its light and stars reflecting back at him in his child's eyes. "So young…" Xan said, his voice heavy with memories.

He grew quiet again, his thoughts drawing him to the past. The boy began to fuss again. Xan laughed slightly, and began rocking the child. "Need a story do you? Well, I could tell you one but it's not a happy story, and it's not over yet either."

The child stared up at him with the large blue-green eyes of his mother, with the universe reflecting in their depths. "Very well child, very well. It begins in a warm summer almost thirty years ago…"

Elven words Used:

Estel'amin – My Hope, in Kulyok's absolutely AMAZING mod, Estel'amin in the name Xan gifts to the protagonist. I don't remember if in the non-bonded path he calls her this but I like it so I'm using it.  
E'sum – son


	2. Meetings

_**'K so, sorry for being slow to update and stuff, I probably won't get another chapter out till after next week. I have quarter projects at school coming up and oddly enough I consider my GPA important. (technically, i should have been working on one of the {many} reports that will be due next week instead of this but I won't tell if you don't.) Anyway, enjoy. And sorry for all the errors. No betareader... **_

* * *

"I had been sent out on yet another mission for the Greycloaks. This mission was to take place far west of here in a small mining town called Nashkell. The town's iron was crucial to the economy of Amn and the Gate Country, and my superiors in the Greycloaks wanted to know why the iron was rotting. Bandits had also picked up in the area and travel for both normal people and especially merchants was very dangerous. I competed the trek to the town safely however and made my way to the towns inn on a rainy day…"

The door slammed shut just as a tall brown haired elf made it through the threshold of the small inn's heavy oak door. He stood their dripping from the cloudburst outside for a moment before the barmaids daggered glare got him moving over towards the innkeep behind the bar. "A room please," he asked, pushing his dripping locks behind a delicately pointed ear.

The innkeep reached under the table and grabbed a key, "You have the gold for it?" The elf nodded and handed him a few coins. The innkeep handed him the key in return, "Last room on the left, anything else I can get you, a drink?"

Looking at the wooden tankered that the man was so carefully polishing with his own spit, the elf shook his head, "Ah, no. I'll be fine. Do you know where I may be able to find your mayor? I need to speak with him."

"You another one of them idiot adventures out to cure the iron here?"

"No, not exactly at least."

"Well you'll fail just like the rest of 'em. Probably die in those cursed mines too."

"Of that I have no doubt. I have been evading Lady Death's attention for too long now – she is bound to take offence if I cause her to wait much longer. Now where can I find you mayor?"

The innkeep shook his head, "Most days you can find him just outside the temple, you can't miss it."

"I did find the mayor and he had not much more to say on the matter of the iron, and held up just about as much hope of my finding the cause of the iron crisis as well as my continued survival as the innkeeper did. The next day I went to the mine, and spoke to the owner. He was none to happy to have yet another adventure seeking to enter his mine, but eventually he told me I could enter. I had no idea that when I looked to the sky one last time before entering into the mine, it would be that last I saw of the sky for several weeks to come.

"I had no sooner entered the mine then I was attacked by a pair of kobolds. I dealt with them quickly enough and continued my investigation into the mines. Again and again I was attacked by the kobolds and the deeper I went into the pits, the thicker they became. I had discovered while making my way through the mines that the kobolds had been putting some sort of liquid on the iron that was causing it to breakdown. Before I could escape to the surface to tell of my discovery, I was captured by the half-orc Mulahey who seemed to be the leader of the kolbolds."

Xan touched his neck, gently tracing with his finger one of the numerous scars Mulahey had left him with. Though the worst of the scars were now almost completely gone, the memory was still as sharp as the knife used to give them.

"I was under Mulahey's power for many weeks, e'sum, and the half-orc was not a kind man. He separated me from the surface for many weeks, I grew ill and he continued to mistreat me. If all that wasn't bad enough, he had separated me from my moonblade. For a normal fighter, being separated from their weapon is but an inconvenience most times, but when a moonfighter is separated from their blade, it's a slow and painful death, as the longer the two are separated the more of the wielder's life-force is slowly pulled from them.

"I was in that pit for weeks, I still can't remember how long exactly. I would slip in and out of consciousness, all the while my mind playing tricks on me, making me hear or see things that weren't really there. If I had any hope in the beginning, it was utterly gone now."

Xan lay on the cold wet stone of the mine. Occasionally his body would convulse in an effort to warm its self, but it had stopped being a constant shake a while ago and the intervals between the shakes were growing few and farther between. He was dying. He wasn't surprised by this. He had known for more years then he cared to count that he was going to do and it was only a matter of time before the Dark Lady would catch him up. Of course now that all he wanted was death – his only way to escape this hellhole - it wouldn't come to him swiftly, no, not now. It was just his luck. But then, when had luck ever been his friend?

His lips twisted into a self mocking grin, how long till the next of his hallucinations - till his own mind - decided to torment him once again? The hallucinations had been getting more realistic and more frequent as his time in the mine had grown. Not long ago he could have sworn he had just woken up from a terrible dream back home in Evereska and had then gone out for a pleasant walk through his family estate's garden with his dead cousin. Mulahey had quickly ended that one; something was upsetting him and he had needed someone to take his anger out on.

At least the noise had stopped now. Something had stirred up the kobolds and brought them to the edge of panic. Not that that took much; the evil little beasts were never more than a minute away from panic.

A light was suddenly shown into the cave, stinging and blinding his eyes and forcing him to close them tightly.

A pink haired human girl was holding the source of the light. "Hey! There's someone in here!" she hollered out the entrance of his cave. Xan winced; he couldn't even have _nice_ hallucinations any more. Not that he expected any better. "I think he's dead!" She walked towards him. "Aw poor guy, looks like he had a rough time of it too. Hey, he looks like he was a mage…" She turned back towards the cave entrance. "I get his stuff!"

Xan could hear the sound of another's footsteps come running into the cave and then kneel down beside him. He felt a small hand turn him slightly and place two fingers where his pulse would be. "Imm he's not dead! Did you even really bother to check before you went claiming his things? Get that light out of here, it's probably hurting his eyes. Jaheria! I need you!"

As the light and pink-haired girl retreated Xan slowly opened his eyes, and looked straight into the blue-green gaze of a silver-haired Sehanine Moonbow.

* * *

Elven Words Used

e'sum – Son  
Onya – My son

For those of you who noticed, I did switch forms of elvish. I went from the Grey Company's form of elvish to Quenya. And if you're wondering why, I found a translator and it's easier to use then looking the words.


	3. First Impression

**_Okay, so chapter 3! Sorry, its rushed. I'm still busy despite having some free time and the quarter having finally ended. I'll try to update more often but no guarantee. And feedback! I would_**** REALLY****_ appreciate feedback. Bad or negative I'll take either, no trolls or flamers though. I don't want to be made crispy or eaten. Sorry already for bad grammar/punctuation/spelling/any other errors, I lack a betareader. And also, I know there is more than six party members. Sue me :P my fanfic, and I don't give a space hamster the number of party members. There will be likely always be more than six. I've never like the six member limitation and so I doubt I'll follow it. Though don't worry I won't go overkill and have every single NPC join the party.  
Oh and I forgot in the other chapters to say this, but…  
I don't own most of this, Bioware does. I kinda own Mina and some of the other stuff that will (might) happen in this.  
Now, enjoy..._**

* * *

****Xan awoke to a cool rag being placed gently on his forehead. He opened his eyes and found himself to be in one of the small rooms of the Nashkell inn. "Don't get up, you're still sick." The ocean-eyed girl was sitting beside his bed, gently adjusting the rag on his forehead.

"How…how did I get here?" he asked.

She leaned back into her chair, and carefully folded her hands in her lap. "After we defeated Mulahey, my sister found you crumpled in the small cavern off his chambers. Our druid healed your most mortal wounds with what healing magic she had left and we brought you here. We got you out of the mine but you slipped back into unconsciousness, soon after. You've been out for almost two days since we found you." She cocked her head to one side, "What happened to you?"

Xan closed his eyes as the memories of his imprisonment worked their way through his foggy mind to the surface and sighed. "I was sent on yet another suicide mission for my superiors in the Greycloaks. Well investigating I was ambushed by a horde of Mulahey's kobolds and taken prisoner. The half-orc kept me as entertainment for his little pets and as a way to take out his anger."

She nodded, "That must have been horrible. How long were you there?"

"I… I don't know. It's hard to remember. What's that date?"

She told him.

He sighed, a month. He had been kept in that hell-pit for over a month.

"I'm so sorry," the girl said gently touching his hand. "That must have been terrible."

"My blade!" Xan struggled to rise, immediately regretting it as he suddenly grew dizzy and felt lightheaded.

"Stop!" the girl said gently pushing him back into the bed and placing the rag back of his forehead. "You still very weak. You need rest."

"My sword, I need it."

"The blue glowing one?"

"Yes, my moonblade. I need it."

"I thought it was yours; it didn't seem like something the half-orc would have." She reached down beneath his bed and pulled up the sheathed, pulsing blue moonblade. "It's right here. Now rest."

A knocking sounded at the door behind her before it opened and a tall elven man in dark green clothes and dark hair walked in. "He's awake I see. Did you find his name Mina?"

She hit herself on the forehead, "How could I have been so stupid!" She turned back to Xan, "I'm sorry for being so rude. My name is Mina, and this here," she gestured to the tall elf who had just walked in, "is my friend Kivian."

Xan nodded to the two, displacing the rag once again. "I am known as Xan."

She smiled, "I'm glad to meet you Xan."

Xan got up from the bench where he and his son had been sitting and began walking around the cobbled paths. "That was the first time I had really met your mother," he said to the boy. "She wasn't the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, nor the most eloquent or graceful." He paused, "Definitely not the most graceful as time would tell. But when she smiled at me, I fell."

He smiled to himself, "I know, I know little one; that sounds like something out of one of those cheap, unrealistic, romance novels so many people seem so enchanted with. But there I was, already feeling deep emotions for this woman I hardly knew. Of course I was convinced it was doomed to failure, so I said nothing, but to be honest it was also due in part to a lack of courage.

"I'd never been that social in my childhood and only had a few friends. I was awkward around others and never seemed to be able to communicate well with them. When my father died and I inherited his moonblade, I threw myself more forcefully into my studies of magic and the arcane, all of which left little to no time for any social activities, let alone ideas of romance.

"She cared for me, nursing me back to apparent health for a week or so, till Jaheira decided I was well enough to travel again. During that time we go t to know each other, as well as her companions. There was Jaheria and Khalid, a half-elven couple whom Gorion, your mother's foster father, had asked take over care of his ward should something happen to him and her pseudo-sister Imoen who had come with her from her home of Candlekeep. There was Minsc, a Rashemani berserk who had lost his witch to gnolls and the elven man Kivan who was seeking revenge for his murdered wife.

"The group seemed hopeless, but I joined to it upon Mina's offer. Kivan and I had struck up a sort of friendship during the week I had been bed-ridden, and so despite the futility I saw in traveling with them I did. At first, I tried ignoring the feelings I knew I was beginning to develop for Mina off, and simply justified my traveling with her group as safety in numbers. Soon, however, I learned that the members of this group seemed to draw danger too them like honey flies."


	4. Chapter 4 (I can't think of a name)

_**No, I didn't die. I just had waaayyyy to much stuff to do. And I kinda got playing BG again and, well, got addicted all over again. Sorry! Well at least I got a feeling for the original game again and not just the sequel. Anyway...  
Yay! Chapter 4! Again sorry about the poor grammar/spelling/punctuation/ect, I lack a betareader. :( But I hope your enjoying the story anyway. If you are, please give me feedback! I'd like to know what you all think of it!)  
I don't own BG or any of its NPC's, Bioware does.**_

* * *

Two days they had wasted so far in the pursuit of the Rashamani berserker's lost witch. She had been kidnapped by gnolls, and most likely was now dead and eaten. It was unfortunate, but such was life, especially to the inexperienced.

Xan snorted. _Not that it would matter to our illustrious leader. With how easily she gets distracted, its amazing she accomplishes anything._

Xan was in a bad mood. Not his usual funk, no this was another even more dismal mood brought on by the fact that he was cold, wet, tired, and had a headache just waiting for someone or something to come along and give a little push and help it achieve its dream of one day becoming a full blown migraine. He walked at the back of the group, trudging along through the misty wilderness in pursuit of a dead woman. _So this is how my life will end._

"So Xan," _And here's the push..._ "what'dya think of our adventure so far?"

"Imoen," Xan said, slowly massaging his temples, "we're on yet another suicide mission, it's cold out despite it being late summer, I'm pretty sure we're lost, and to top it all off its raining."

Imoen grinned widely, threw her arms and head back and closed her eyes face up to the rain, "And it's _wonderful_ isn't it?"

Xan shook his head.

"Liquid sunshine Winthrop used to call it," Imoen said adjusting her hood as she caught back up with him. "Besides I can find flaws in all the reasons you think this is horrible."

Maybe if he was quiet she would leave him alone.

"It's cold but that's keeping us more alert and our senses keen to take in the beauty up here! We might not know exactly where we are but that just means we're closer to another adventure! Also you said 'another suicide mission', if it were truly a suicide mission we'd have died on the first one! Just gotta look on the bright side Xanny!" She finished her speech by slapping him hard on the back, sending his already throbbing head reeling.

"Imoen," Xan said slowly, grating his teeth, "Would you please, please just leave me alone?"

"Jeez, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. You know what would cheer you up?"

"I don't care," Xan said interrupting her.

"See that's your problem! Ya gotta care more! Be more enthusiastic! Smile once in a while and quit looking for death and find the silver lining!"

"Imoen, I do not _look_ for death, I simply accept it's coming and recognize the pointlessness in fighting the inevitable."

"Such a pessimist!" Imoen continued on her speech undeterred, telling Xan all the ways he could improve himself if he just was a little happier, never noticing Xan pulling out his spellbook and pointedly ignoring her.

The rain stopped a while later and the sun had begun to shine through the thin clouds. A wispy rainbow began to unveil its self in the now darkening sky. Just beyond the mist, the looming gray of an abandoned keep towered on the craggy cliff side, its walls glimmering in the weak light. The golden light of the setting sun setting it ablaze.

Xan stopped and stared at the crumbling towers. The mist, the mountainous terrain around him, the stout keep withstanding, albeit badly, the test of weather and time, it stirred something in him.

_Home._

Of course it would be a ruin that would reminded him of his shinning Evereska, it would be just that with time. His lush home slowly pulled away from the elves as Tethyr and all the other lands the elves had foolishly allowed humans to live on. He didn't hate humans, he hated losing his home. He hated himself for not being able to stop it. Just as the sun was setting now, he was living in the eve of the time of the elves. He sighed.

"You're the only one I know that could find sorrow in all that beauty."

Xan jumped slightly. Mina had come up beside him and was staring with a dreamy look at the shinning castle. "Reminds me of a story I read back in Candlekeep about a floating castle kept aloft by magic crystals."

His mouth went dry, "Did, did you read a lot in Candlekeep?" Why did she always make him so uneasy?

"I used to read all the time back home, don't have much time for it anymore. I really miss it though. I used to imagine I was one of the character in the books, going on some high adventure, changing the fate of the world." She smiled whimsically, "Gorion always called me a dreamer. He told me to be careful what I wish for. I guess he was right."

Xan glanced over at Mina, her gaze had fallen. "You miss him don't you?"

"He was my father. I don't know what to do without him, I feel like I'm just floundering around most of time, just surviving on luck."

"You probably are." Why in the world did he say that? That isn't what she needed to hear right now, she needed comfort not... him. "Luck runs out. You should hope you get experienced at least somewhat before it does. That way you may be able to put off the inevitable a bit longer than normal. However given your extraordinary circumstances I doubt we will have such a leisure."

She sighed, almost as melancholic as his, "I know."

He was such an idiot. He was telling a recently orphaned and now hunted child, that she was going to run out of luck and die. He should be comforting her, not telling her she was going to die. But why sugar coat the world just to have her get a reality check later on? "I-I lost my father at a young age too."

She looked up at him, "I'm so sorry."

He nodded. "I know, at least somewhat, what you're going through. If you ever, if you need someone to talk to, I'll try and be of help."

She smiled at him, "I appreciate that." His heart stopped.

"We should, um catch up with the others."

Mina nodded, suddenly more cheerful, "You're right. We'll have plenty of time to admire that fortress tomorrow while we look for Dynaheir."

He watched her walk on ahead, catching up with her sister and begin chatting animatedly. She had such a strange effect on him. He needed to keep better control of his emotions if he was going to be of any use to the group.

They had made camp that night in a small cave so as to stay out of the rain. Of course they had to drive it's occupant, a very angry bear, out first. However it seemed that the bear had only stopped in the cave for shelter from the rain too as the cave didn't have the tell tale smells that a bear's den would have. At least they had a small stroke of luck. The night was uneventful, save for Mina's nightmares, and the next morning they headed towards the Gnoll Stronghold.

oOo

Xan's back thudded against the rough crumbling wall behind him. The sound of his heavy breathing barely audible over the battle that raged just in front of his cover. Their plan of sneaking in and rescuing the witch had failed. Imoen and Kivan had been seen and a horde of gnolls had fallen on them. The rescue party had to be rescued. This was going _so_ well.

An arrow slammed into the wall beside Xan's head. He rolled to the side and shot a stream of fire at his attacker, burning the beast and the friends it had brought with it as well. There were so many gnolls here. Of course it was their stronghold, but this many was just ludicrous. Mina had run out of spells a while ago and he wasn't far from running out either. Jaheria had shape-shifted and was using the wolf's sharp teeth to pierce the gnoll's armor like skin. Khalid and Minsc had managed to bottle neck the gnolls advance between one of their prison pits and the tall castle wall.

Yet they just kept coming. Despite their best efforts they came, and the witch still hadn't been found. It was like the monsters were coming out of the ground. The group was growing tired, and they wouldn't be able to hold them off forever.

"Clear the area!" Xan turned to see Mina rushing to the group, a dirty scroll clenched in her fist. Before anyone had a time to move, she began to cast. Xan didn't recognize all the words of it, but he distinctly herd the word 'fire' in her quick chanting. The fighters began to retreat, covered by Kivan and Imoen's arrows from just pass where he himself was sheltering.

The gnolls began to swarm the slight girl, but her concentration was on the spell, her brow creased and her mouth quickly shaping the incantation. One slip, one simple mispronunciation, and the spell would fizzle.

The gnolls surrounded her completely, the largest of them raised his weapon. Xan looked away. He couldn't bare to watch what he knew was going to happen next. An explosion echoed around the keep, causing bits of loose rubble to fall from the walls. Silence; not a single snort or scuffle of the gnolls could be heard.

Imoen popped up from the rocks she had sheltered behind, "What was _that_?"

"Sunfire," Mina answered, sounding slightly smug.

Sure enough, when Xan rose from his spot of concealment, he could see Mina, completely unharmed if not somewhat smug looking. She was though, standing in the heart of what looked like an explosion of gnolls.

"Don't you _ever_ do something as insane as that again!" Jaheira stormed, rushing over to the girl. She had evidently shifted back into her natural form and was practically shaking with either rage or worry. "You are a _mage_ child! Mages are_ not_ meant to rush into the heart of battle! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"Jaheira," Mina said, attempting to calm the druid, "I am still breathing see? You can even check my pulse if you'd like."

"That is not the point!"

"I believe the point could be that she stopped the gnolls," Kivan stated, placing a hand on Jaheir' shoulder. "She did after all."

"Yes but..."

"He is right d-dear," Khalid said coming up beside his wife. "And she is still alive."

"Yeah Jay!" Imoen said, bounding up beside her sister. "And besides that it was totally awesome! The flames just went BOOM out of nowhere around her and-"

"Jaheira is right though," Mina broke through her sister's chatter. "I should have been a bit more careful. I just didn't see another option at the time. I'll be more careful, I promise."

Jaheira crossed her arms and stared at her for a moment before finally sighing, "Well we have witch to rescue don't we?"

For being so young, Mina showed exceptional skill at managing her party members.

They searched for hours before they finally found the witch. She was dying. Xan knew she would be, he just wished he was wrong. He watched silently as the large Rashamani, with a gentleness unexpected from his size, scooped the dark skinned girl up in his arms and brought her to Jaheira. They all could all tell from one look at the tortured body that she wouldn't last the night. Minsc gently laid her body on his bed roll as Jaheria and Kivan knelt over her, doing their best for the sake of the berserker to at least make her passing less pain filled.

Xan felt someone grip his elbow tightly and look down to see Mina standing beside him. "I was to slow," she breathed.

"You can't blame yourself Mina. People die, especially adventurers. There was nothing you could have done, death is inevitable."

She blinked and he saw a tear slide down her cheek. "Do you think, do you think we could raise her? Once we get back to Nashkel?"

He sighed. "Mina," he said slowly, turning the teary-eyed girl to face him, "Did you see her body? She was tortured, tortured to the point her body began shutting down. Her body is in such a state that her spirit wouldn't be able to return to it. There is nothing we could, or can do for her. You can't save everyone."

"I can try," she replied, raising her chin and staring at him defiantly.

"You can, and you will die," he said, looking her in the eyes. "There are somethings that just can't be done. They will be beyond your reach, their tasks beyond your skills. You will exhaust yourself, you will stretch yourself to far, you wither and die. And where will that get you? What good would you be to those you seem to so desperately want to save?"

"What would you do then? Let everyone die?"

He turned away from her, her and the dying witch. "Everyone dies anyway."

"Yes, everyone does die Xan," she stepped in front of him, not letting him look away from her. "But you know that bit in the middle, between birth and death? It's called life, and its worth fighting for; every life."


End file.
